FRANCAIS – LECTURE This week, the students focused on developing basic literacy skills. We practiced sliding our finger from left to right along the page to follow the text. We practiced reading sight words such as "c'est". We learned that there are three ways to read a book: read the pictures, read the words, and retell a story you’ve heard before. We learned that to become independent readers, we need to be able to be very focused on reading.We decided that being focused on reading requires that we: 1. Read the entire time. We cannot look around the classroom or at others. We need all the stamina reading time we can get if we want to work up to 30 minutes! If we finish one book in our book bags, we take out another one and keep going. 2. Be quiet. No talking to others. When we read aloud, we need to whisper and be respectful of others. Independent reading time is a quiet time in our classroom. 3. Read alone. Independent reading time is not time to socialize. It is time to focus on our own reading. 4. Work your brain the entire time. Think about what you are reading. Ask yourself questions to understand the meaning of the text (ex. Who is this story about? How does the story begin? What happens in the story? How does the story end? Why is that illustration on this page? What does the illustration tell me about the story?). 5. Stay in one spot. We can read where we feel safe and most comfortable. We can select a spot where we are at least an arm’s length away from a classmate. We can sit at tables, on the floor, or on the carpet. We can use tri-folds to create privacy. We can use pillows and stools to be comfortable. We need to pick a spot that is safe and reasonable. 6. Get started right away. When the teacher signals it is time to begin, we need to start reading right away. We need all the time in class and must it wisely and responsibly. The more we read, the better readers we will become.

We practiced uninterrupted independent reading. Monday, we could only read for about 50 seconds. Tuesday, the students made it to two full minutes –wow! On Wednesday, the students were able to read for FOUR minutes without anyone getting off –track or interrupting the reading process. AMAZING!! We willcontinue to strive to add a minute a day to our stamina reading program until we are able to actively read for 30 minutes without interruption. We sure are off to great start!FRANCAIS – ECRITUREStudents completed stems of sentences using colour and sight words (ex. C’est un_____ rouge). Students also created their own sentences using the stem pattern modelled. The students distinguished between the correct articles for masculine and feminine nouns (ex. une fille, un garçon, une amie-vedette, un ami-vedette, un ballon, une balle). Next week, we will create and complete sentences using colour words for blue and yellow.FRANCAIS – PHONOLOGIE In French Language Arts, students studied the letter "Oo" (pronounced and named “oh” in French) and "Uu” (pronounced and named “OU” in French). Students traced the shape of the letter with their hands, practiced their printing using pencils and white board markers, built 3D forms of the letter and explored vocabulary with the letter (ex. l’océan).MATHÉMATIQUES Students continued focusing on number sense. The children printed the symbols and words of 3 (trois) and 4 (quatre), represented and recognized quantities of 3 or 4 by use of ten frames, manipulatives, drawings and dot arrangements, and explored addition and subtraction math facts to 4.

Next week, we will work on numbers 5 to 8 with the activities described above. We will also work in math centres for the first time this year, each day working on patterns with two elements.SCIENCESWe explored the colour rouge. We created storybooks and mind-maps describing things that are red. We search around the classroom and school to take photos of red things with the iPhone. The students were very knowledgeable of this technology and were excited to take photos. Next week, we will focus on colours jaune (yellow) and bleu (blue). We will create more storybooks and mind maps, as well as continue taking photos around the school. We will use these photos to create a cross-curricular art project focused on the primary colours. Stay tuned!